Rotary engine.



No. se9,4s|. Patented Mar. 5, I90l.

' s. E. KOCHENDARFER & n. n HUNTER ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 15, 1900.)

3 Sheen-Sheet l.

No. 669,461. Patented Mar. 5, l90l. S. E. KOCHENDABFER &. R. D. HUNTER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 15, 1900.) (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2/IVVENTOH\S\ f ,6: E. Kbckendarpm W/ TNE SSE S ATTORNEYS Nlia. 669,46-|Patented Mar. 5, 19m.

8, E. KQCHENDABFER &. B. D. HUNTER. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed. May 15. 1900.)

(No lloael.)

3 $heata-'Shaet 3.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @EETCE.

SIRUS E. KOOHENDARFER AND RALPH D. HUNTER, OF IIOLLIDAYSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO EDWIN W. DRURY, OF

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGIN E.

STPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,461, dated March5, 1901- Application filed May 15, 1900. $erial No- 16,763. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SIRUs E. KOCHEN- DARFER and RALH D. HUNTER,residing at Hollidaysburg, in the county of Blair and State ofPennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in rotary IO engines, and includes acasing having a cylinder, an eccentric piston operating therein, andmeans for controlling the admission and operation of the steam upon thesaid eccentric piston; and the invention consistsin certain novelconstructions and combinations of parts, as will. be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

I11 the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view, ofan engine embodying our invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on aboutline 3 30f Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view on about line 44. ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of theabutment-blades. Fig. 6 illustrates one of the pistons in detail, andFig. 7 is adetail view of the reversing-gear.

' In the construction shown the cylinder A is mounted upon a suitablesupportBand the shaft 0 is journaled at O in suitable bearings. Thisshaft extends through the cylinder A and has fixed upon it within thesaid cylinder the pistons D and E, which are constructed alike, aresecured eccentrically upon the shaft 0, and project in diametricallyopposite directions from the said shaft. The

pistons are constructed alike, and each operates within its chamber A,formed in the cylinder A by the central partition A as best shown inFig. 3. In constructing the pistons we provide them at their extremeoutermost point with a packing-strip E actuated by a spring E andpressed thereby firmly out against the inner side of the cylinder toform a steam-tight joint with the bearing between 4.5 the rim of thepiston and the interior of the cylinder. The ends of the pistons arepacked by the rings F, which fit in the annular grooves F, formed in theends of the pistons near their outer edges, and these rings are pressedoutwardly by springs F seated in sockets F extended from the base-wallsof the grooves F, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 6. By thedescribed construction the pistons are packed tightly in the cylinder.

Upon the cylinder A we mount the steamchamber G, which is providedcentrally with a way G, which leads to the interior of the cylinder andis of a practically uniform size throughout. Grooves G are formedlongitu- 6o dinally in the side walls of the way G, and alongside saidway the chamber G is provided with steam-passages G and G which arealike and open into the way G at points G and G near the upper and lowerends of the way G, as shown. The passages G and G also communicate withexhaust-ports g and g and valves H H control the passage of steam anddirect it either to the cylinder or from the cylinder to discharge atthe exhaust, as desired. The valves H H and their connecting andoperating devices, including the crank-arms h h, connecting-link H andhand-lever and rack, constitute a reversing-gear, as will be readilyunderstood from the drawings.

The sliding abutment-blade I fits and operates in the way G of thesteam-chamber and extends Within the cylinder and bears at its inner endagainst the piston. This blade I is of a special construction and hasits lower end I, where it rests upon the piston, made practically flat,as shown in Fig. 4, so the piston during a part of its upward strokewill rest beneath one corner of said lower end I, so the steam can bearbeneath such end of the blade I and operate to balance the said blade,or nearly balance it, so it will not exert any undue pressure againstthe piston. and operate to hinder the movements of the engine. Theopposite faces of the blade I are packed at I and at the opposite edgesof the blade we provide the longitudinal ribs I which operate in thegrooves G of the chamber G, as will be understood from Figs. 3, 4., and5. In the opposite faces of the blade I prevent any choking of theexhaust, as well as to permit a free inflow of the live steam, weprovide the interior of the cylinder A, adjacent to the way G for theblade I, with grooves J, which extend for a short distance from the wayG for the blade in opposite directions around the interior of thecylinder, as best shown in Fig. 4:. Each blade I is pro vided at itsupper end with a projecting pin I which by engaging the upper end wallof the chamber G limits the upward movement of the blade I and preventsthe lower end of said blade from moving upwardly out of the path of thepacking-strip E of the piston.

A suitable throttle-valve K may be provided, as shown in Fig. 4, and inaddition to this we employ a controlling-valve L, which may be adjustedto shut off the supply of steam to any desired extent. This valve L isoperated automatically by connecting its stem L with one end of a leverM, which is pivoted at M, and has its other arm M provided with a shoeN, whose stem N is preferably adjustably connected with the arm M andmay be secured in any desired adjustment by the screw N as will beunderstood from the drawings. The shoe N bears against thegovernor-pulley O, which is fixed upon the shaft 0 and is formed with anumber of independentlymovable sections 0', which may be thrown outwardby centrifugal action and are normally pressed inward by springs 0supported and operated as will be understood from Fig. 2 of thedrawings. A spring P tends to hold the shoe N tightly against thegovernor-pulley O. In the operation of this construction if the engineis running at or below the desired speed the governor-sections will notbe forced outwardly to such an extent as to operate the lever M M tolimit the supply of steam. However, on any considerable increase ofspeed the governor-sections 0 will move outwardly and rock the lever insuch manner as to shut ofi the supply of steam in proportion to theoutward throw of the governor-sections. When the steam is thus shut offor reduced, the engine will slow down and the governor devices readjustthemselves in such manner as to control the operation of the engine andsecure the operation thereof at the desired speed. By adjusting the shoeN in or out on the arm M the speed of the engine can be regulated. Inthe operation when the reversing-valves are properly adjusted the steamwill enter the cylinder on one side of the abutmentblade and actingbetween said blade and the piston will drive the latter positivelyaround until it reaches the eXhausting-point,at which time such pistonwill have driven its abutment-blade up to close the port G leading tothe steam passage. Before one piston reaches its exhaustingpoint theother piston is being acted on by the live steam, so there is a constantsteam action upon the engine and a constant positive operation of theshaft. The steam operating upon one side of the abutment-blade willpress the ribs I thereof firmly against the walls of the groove G andthus aid in packing the engine, as will be readily understood.

In operation it will be seen the abutmentblade is operated in onedirection or downward by the steam-pressu re above and in the oppositeor upward direction by the piston.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine the combination of the cylinder, the piston, thesteam-chamber having a central passage for the abutment-blade andprovided in the walls of said passage with longitudinal grooves andhaving passages for the steam, valves controlling the steam-passages,and the abutment-blade provided at its edges with ribs operating in thegrooves of the steam-chamber and having upon its opposite facespacking-strips and provided in said faces with recesses su bstantiallyas set forth.

2. A rotary engine comprising the cylinder, the eccentric pistonoperating therein, the steam-chamber having a way for the abutment-valveand steam-passages on opposite sides of and communicating with said wayat their opposite ends and also communicating with exhaust-ports, valvescontrolling such steam-passages and the abutmentblade provided in itsopposite faces with recesses for the passage of the steam and arrangedat its inner end to bear against the eccentric piston substantially asset forth.

SIRUS E. KOOHENDARFER. RALPH D. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, PERRY B. TURPIN.

